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About the Program

With
the establishment of the Laurier Centre for Music in the Community (LCMC) in
2008, the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University served notice that
exploring the musical activities of people in our community and beyond is a
priority for the University. Symposia, town hall forums, concert events and a
variety of research projects all point to the significance of music in the
daily lives of practically everyone. Our community, a cross-section of Canada’s
diverse demographic, includes an eclectic musical palate with myriad formal and
informal music opportunities available to all generations, faith practices and
cultural traditions. A logical progression, then, from the launching of the
LCMC, is a higher degree program where research, study and skills development
would result in the recognition of skilled leadership in a wide variety of
community music settings.

Music
in the Community has many meanings and manifestations depending on several
variables: (a) the people involved (e.g., "community music workers"
and/or musicians, clients, or students); (b) the communities and institutions
involved; (c) the aims, purposes, or needs that a Community Music program
intends to achieve; (d) the relationships between a given Community Music
program and its geographical, social, economic, religious, cultural, and/or
historic circumstances; and (e) the financial support a Community Music program
receives, or not. Music in the Community may or may not be formal. Leadership
in community music may be volunteer (uncompensated) or professional
(compensated). Music in the Community may be part of a larger institution or
may be a grass roots private enterprise. Accordingly, this degree is premised
on an open concept of Music in the Community and the advancement of such
musical practices; it is designed as a part-time degree study.

Community
music “workers” are labelled in various ways, depending on the region in which
they work. We prefer the term “practitioner” to embrace a variety of other
monikers such as specialist, facilitator, director, etc. Trained community
music practitioners can build the arts communities and independent educational
centres in Canada to new heights of excellence. Internationally, CM
characteristically addresses societal need by providing skills to:

ensemble
leaders and administrators;

classroom
and studio teachers;

adult
education teachers and support staff;

arts
councils administers;

administrators
and managers of arts-based businesses, schools, and music camps;

music/leisure
coordinators at seniors residences;

prison
and probation support workers;

day
care workers;

occupational
therapists;

community
youth leaders;

church/worship/faith-based
leaders;

multicultural
arts leaders and creators;

interdisciplinary
arts creators;

media
and technology creators and technicians.

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